Retro Radio Podcast

Abner is still confined in his cell at the jail when Lum visits him. Has Lum finally studied up a way to get Abner out of jail, and maybe his charges as well? Lum wants Abner to put all his trust and confidence in his plan, before even telling him what it is. it’s way too late in the game to offer to settle out of court. Besides recounting the court case thus far, Abner tells Lum how uncle Henry injured his back in the jail practicing his Jujitsu moves to keep prisoners in line. So, will Abner agree to Lum’s plan? The advice to plead insanity won’t be difficult according to Lum. All Abner has to do is keep answering questions the way he has been doing. In the court, Squire isn’t happy with the insanity claim. Have the gents finally landed on a winning strategy?

At a family gathering, death makes an appearance. With Lamonte Cranston and Margot Lane on hand, they do their best to capture a killer. Is it the butler who did it? Is there any hope for saving the holiday celebration? Clues emerge, but doubt remains in who the killer might be in the tale of greed and blackmail. An age old grudge plays into the picture, and turns the list of suspects around. The real story behind an inheritance comes out, but it\s going to take a little interference from the Shadow to set things right.

Offered a job as dog catcher, Fibber has to turn it down. Before Mayor LaTrrivia can leave, the Old Timer has a proposition for the McGee’s and mayor. Will any of them win a chance on his punch board? Fibber gets confused over the mayor, and an afghan. Mirt the phone operator, calls to let Fibber know her grandmother got plastered again. She also has a message for the mayor. Martha Tilton sings, My Silent Love. Beginning to feel like the man who came for dinner, the mayor balks at going down the front steps and possibly breaking a leg. Abigail Uppington meets them to talk about a matter for the civic council. Just as the mayor is ready to trot along, Harlow Wilcox arrives. Will this be the moment the mayor departs? Teeny arrives for Fibber to caution her against using slang. Does he know what a colloquialism is? Though Teeny departs, the mayor ends up in the hall closet; The Kingsmen sing, Thirty More Shopping Days Till Christmas. Still trying to leave, the mayor is interrupted by Wallace Wimple, and a poem about his big old wife, Sweetie Face. Rain, the telephone, and a message that city hall has flooded finds the McGee’s racing out along with mayor LaTrivia. Has Fibbers trick finally worked?

The show starts with Jack and Mary doing some Christmas shopping. Mel Blanc is the sales clerk, and tries to up-sell Jack from the cheap wallet to a more expensive one for Don. Indecision kicks in. Should he have a monogram? Maybe add a card? In another department, Jack talks with Frank Nelson about camping equipment for Phil. Here comes that bear joke again that has appeared in previous weeks. Mr Kitzel stops to talk about his trouble in shopping for his wife. Jack gets second thoughts, and goes back to make Mel Blanc unwrap the gift so Jack can make changes to the card. Phil is in the store and chats with Jack and Mary about his shopping adventure. After Phil leaves, Jack plugs his appearance on Phil’s show later. The Sportsmen are the elevator operators, and give Jack a hard time as they sing out the floor departments. Mary goes to pick up a gift for her sister, Babe, and Jack goes back for another change up with Mel. The Beaver Club pop in to get a special gift for their 39year old treasurer. Dennis shows up with a lunch for his mom, the on duty Santa in the store. Is it possible for Jack to make any more changes with his sale with Mel? Since Mel’s nerves are frazzled, Jack goes to get something for his sister, maybe the latest in lingerie fashion. Rochester does some shopping while Jack spies on him. Will jack need to make any more last minute changes with Mel? The show wraps up with Dennis singing, Ave maria.

The recent surprise witness turned out to be Dr Drill, the inventor of the robot. Will Abner be in extra trouble for stealing Robert? We join Squire and Dr Drill discussing Abner’s predicament in jail. Though Squire tries to convince the doctor to claim his stake in the case, the doctor doesn’t; want any 0part in it. He feels bad for the way things turned out. In the jail, Abner recounts his side of the complicated case to his jailer, uncle Henry. Is it time he got another lawyer? With all the usual inmates gone for the time, uncle Henry wants to practice his Jujitsu moves on Abner. He’s just not sure about wearing those Jujitsu clothes. In reading the instructions for the moves, uncle Henry gets Abner confused over adversaries and opponents. With the backfired move, and uncle Henry knocked out, Squire thinks Abner is escaping. All he wanted was medical help for uncle Henry. Not more charges added to his case.

An out of work vaudeville actor tries his best to raise his little girl on his own. Always keeping up a positive front for her, and seemingly always performing for his unseen audience, he gets a call from his agent. Though the job of playing Santa for a Christmas party is well below his expectations, he takes it to keep food on the table. On the way, the hard case of a chauffeur delivers a thump on the head, rather than being taken to the rich neighborhood. Set up to take the fall for a jewel heist, it’s going to take more than the uplifting support of his little girl to get him off the hook with the FBI investigators. Bits of the story materialize into the truth. Will the evidence fully exonerate the innocent Santa Claus? Find out how the FBI got to the bottom of the racket, and why our out of work actor was picked to take the fall?

Still in Palm Springs, Don rolls the clock back to share a moment of what happened earlier in the week. Rochester joins Jack for a swim. With, or without his water wings, Jack splashes in the pool. Mary is sure to point out Jacks swim suit, and other frailties to tease him. Mr Billingssley has just flown in on his magic carpet, then Jack and Mary take a sun bath together. Dennis Day arrives to play his song on Jack’s victrola, It All Comes Back To Me Now. Jack is looking forward to the rest of the gang getting here, so they can all hike to Taquitz Falls. Mary isn’t keen on the long walk, but as soon as the Indian guide arrives, the hike can begin. Phil plays some jazzy traveling music to get the hike going. Commanding the march, Jack learns his guide, Eagle Puss is off the beam. Phil has his snake bite meds ready. And the palefaces continue. What does that mean for Rochester? As Jack admires the rock formations, a mysterious movement in the bushes could mean danger, but our gang marches on. The scenery, communing with nature, fun with echos is enough to inspire Jack. What if he should find an outcropping of gold nuggets?

Stopping in at Peavy’s drugstore, a dejected Gildersleeve seeks advice. The situation becomes awkward when Leila Ransom also pops in for a few sage words from the druggist. Might the two work things out on their own? Is there someone outside who Leila left with? At home, the family notices that the great man is quiet and withdrawn. He hasn’t even yelled at Leroy for anything. A letter delivered to the wrong address is all the prompting Gildy needs to go calling on Leila. He also gets to meet Mark Wade, her new boyfriend. Gildy learns about the newspaper man, and intrudes on their personal moments. Does Mark hold a musical candle to Gildersleeve? Insults fly, but flimsy apologies are enough to appease Leila. Pining away, Gildy decides to stalk Leila and Mark on their date. He eventually makes it to the meeting of the Jolly Boys for some encouragement. Gildy is still sensitive to jokes that fly. On the walk home, Gildy sulks, but knows he’s feeling down for not moving quicker with Leila. Is there any hope to overcome the campy come ons that Mark is laying onto Leila? Can Gildyy supply some news of his own to the snooping Leroy and Marjorie? Mark may have news of his own to rock Leila’s boat. So when Gildyy shows up to lay down his final proposition, he finds an easy win. Will he go through with the wedding proposal he intended?

Gracie and Herman sit up on Christmas Eve. She tries to tell him a story to encourage him to go to bed. She reminds Herman of a movie they had seen, and tries to tell him about a wicked witch. As Herman dozes, a dream sequence begins. Gracie visits the North Pole, and sings a special song to Herman, O Duckie. They meet a sad Chris Kringle, played by Arthur Q Brian, the voice of Elmer Fudd. As Gracie cruises around with Herman on their flying carpet, she meets George, the strongest man in the world. Jimmy Cash sings, Beautiful Dreamer. He is Tommy Tucker, singing for his supper. They meet up with the wicked witch. Though the witch is crabby, Gracie feels sorry for her as they talk together. When the witch leaves, Paul Whiteman is Humpty Dumpty, and talks with George and Gracie. The little band of characters set off on a march to get the witch. The band play an arrangement of Jingle Bells as an interlude. At the witch’s castle, our heros meet a skeleton who invites them inside. Will they be able to get Santas toys returned to them? First, she has to show how nasty she can be, and puts George on the stretching machine. There’s a chance he can be saved if Bill Goodwin, Aladdin, can use his magic lamp. In the end it all works out for the good as the show credit cuts off abruptly.

Back in the feed room, Lum outlines his new approach to the case. Abner isn’t convinced. The more that Lum has tried to help his case, the more trouble Abner has found himself in. Is there hope in convincing folks that Abner had no control over Robert the robot, when it allegedly killed Ira Hodgkins bull? It was nobody’s fault. The court is back in session, and with Justice of the Peace Edwards presiding, he continues to play a double role as Abner’s defense attorney. Abner takes the stand, but in describing the events that led up to the demise of the bull, he doesn’t paint himself in the best of light. Squire keeps his stream of witnesses coming. As Cedric runs across the street to get the surprise witness, Abner gets cross examined. More charges pile against Abner, when Dr Drill is called to testify.

Homicide Detail.. A 38 year old mother has disappeared,, and it’s up to Joe Friday to unravel the mystery. While waiting for his partner, Ed Jacobs, Joe gets the report. Rose Baker has disappeared before, but her boyfriend Carl Sheldon claims she hasn’t been gone so long in the past. Rose left her 4 kids in the care of her sister, and different statements by various witnesses are the beginning of a tangled web of lies. Did she move, is she just on the prowl to some of her other boyfriends on her string? Is she just a forgetful drunk who easily loses her purse? Miss Marin is Rose’s sister, and ex-girlfriend of Carl. Might she have an ax to grind? Joe and Ed interview her. But find her to be responsible in caring for the kids left with her. As the search goes out. Joe retraces the clues he has to go on. Might there be money issues in raising the kids? Is there anything different in the way Rose disappeared this time, as opposed to others? The matter becomes grim, when the body of Rose is found. Joe describes how the crime lab went to work to secure the scene. A phone call from a witness claims to know who killed Rose, and the cops turn to confronting the killer. Conflicting stories are soon resolved, and the motive behind the crime is exposed./

Audio skips plague the episode, a little bit at the beginning, but they come and go throughout the show.. Driving downtown, Fibber and Molly go to pick out their Christmas tree. He brags on past exploits at bargaining against other customers, to buy the ideal tree. Mayor Latrivia pops in to interrupt Fibber’s exploits in his adventures in chopping down his own tree. A phone call, amid skipping audio reveals a miner scandal involving Myrt’s niece being kissed. An owl in Fibber’s tree gets in on the act to ask… what else… “who”? Will Fibber go out to play with the Old Timer in the snow? Will he at least have a joke about Molly’s broken window? Audio skips continue to plague the show as Martha Tilton sings, Thank Your Lucky Stars and Stripes. Fibber takes a cue from Lum and Abner, as he sings a round of, They Cut Down the Old Pine Tree, as he drags the tree into place. Abigail Uppington visits, and tells about her love for the wide open spaces. Bear hunter McGee isn’t afraid of anything… except that flapping, broken window of Molly’s. The branches of the tree need trimmed back to fit in the room, and it turns out to be the time for a visit from Harlowe Wilcox. The audio keeps skipping, but mostly clears up for a visit from Wallace Wimple. Sweetie Face, his big old wife, seems to be sick and seeing a doctor. The attack of the audio skips continue as the Kingsmen sing, Coming Through the Rye. Taking a break from cutting down the tree, Molly learns he has been tinkering with the thermostat. No wonder it’s been so hot in here. Teeny pops in to bother Fibber’s tree cutting. He gives her a lesson in nature. With the tree trimmed down to a stick, Fibber turns back to his repair of the thermostat. In epilog, the McGees pitch the patriotic duty of people to buy defense stamps.

The first installment of a 5 part Christmas serial in this production that spanned through much of the life of Jesus. Artistic liberties are taken, and few biblical truths appear. However, the fictional account does portray the social and political climate of the time very well. We find Joseph the carpenter in Galilee, talking to a friend named Simon. Will Joseph be convinced to walk away from his little shop, and join the growing rebellion against the ruling king? Simon begins a voiceover sequence to take us behind the scenes of king Herod. Herod isn’t concerned about his tyrannical rule over the people. The only way to keep the people in their place, and stay in the good graces of the Roman Empire is to make his iron grip stronger. How deep does the rebellion run against his treachery and terrible ways? Even his own son is against him. Back in Joseph’s shop, Simon putJoseph under pressure to be loyal to his kinsmen, and join the rebellion against the Edomite king. Why won’t Joseph go for it? Is it just for the love of a good woman? Even Simon has to agree, there’s something special about Mary. Note: The bible supports the facts that Joseph and Mary were a couple to be married… That he was a carpenter… That Herod was an Edomite who managed to get himself appointed king. Herod was ruthless and tyrannical. Other histories fill in other details to address the killing of his own son, and anyone else who might stand in his way. Rebellions and uprisings existed, but most of the story vehicle and dialog is entirely contrived. Not bad. The story is well done. It just pays to be aware of where the fiction starts, and which are real, non negotiable, known facts.

Consulting together in the feed room, Abner is having doubts in Lu m’s ability as his lawyer. Is it too late to hire another one? It seems that every time Lum says something, another charge is piled up against Abner. Court is in session. Cedric takes the witness stand to tell the truth as he knows it. As the guide to relay information to Abner, was he privy to plans that Abner had in using the robot? Namely a list of folks to take Revenge on. Will his testimony of finding the robot, and the dead bull be hurtful, or helpful to Abner? In trying to portray Abner’s good character, the lad brings up more grounds to add to Abner’s charges.

At the airport, the McGee’s wait to pick up their friend and co-star in their movie,. Edgar Bergen. Before he arrives, the Old Timer shows up to have his joke drowned out by airrcraft that buzz past. Will the old gent help Fibber by complimenting his performance in the film? The Kingsmen sing, I Like a Balalaika. Bergen and McCarthy arrive to help tease Abigail; Uppington. She still invites them all over to her house for a midnight supper. Might she have eyes for Edgar? Harlowe Wilcox is to say a few words at the premier, but claims to be nervous. He still manages a good sponsor pitch. At home, the gang start dressing for the big event, when Teeny pops in too spar with Charlie. Is she the girl of his dreams? Teeny gets confused over ice skating and osculating, but handles the little wolf just fine. Martha Tilton sings, I See a Million People. At the Bijou. The crowd is just exiting the theater to be met by Mayor LaTrivia. A quick phone call gets Mirt the operator on the line, and word on her relative in the hoosegow. Will the Old Timer come through on his promises made to Fibber?